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Robert Half Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 April 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue fell 4 percent reported: Global enterprise revenues were $1.3 billion, down 4 percent reported and down 6 percent adjusted, compared with last year's first quarter. Source
  • Net income and diluted EPS declined: Net income was $14 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, against $17 million, or $0.17 per share, in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Reported operating income down, adjusted up: Reported operating income was $36.9 million, or 2.8 percent of revenue, against $38.9 million. Adjusted operating income, which moves deferred compensation investment losses into operating income, was $28.7 million against $18.7 million. Source
  • Contract talent revenue down 5 percent: Contract talent solutions revenue was $725.0 million against $763.2 million; permanent placement revenue was $109.0 million against $112.1 million. Source
  • Protiviti revenue down 2 percent: Protiviti revenue was $466.2 million against $476.6 million, down 2.2 percent as reported and 3.8 percent on an adjusted basis. Source
  • International revenue up on reported basis: International revenue rose 8.1 percent as reported, against a 1.8 percent rise in the fourth quarter; adjusted growth was 0.4 percent. Source
  • Cash fell from year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $278.4 million at March 31, 2026, against $464.4 million at December 31, 2025 and $342.5 million a year earlier. Source

“We are very pleased that talent solutions delivered a second consecutive quarter of positive sequential growth on a same-day constant currency basis”

M. Keith Waddell, president and chief executive officer of Robert Half

Headline results and growth

  • Revenue fell 4 percent reported: Global enterprise revenues were $1.3 billion, down 4 percent reported and down 6 percent adjusted, compared with last year's first quarter. Source
  • Net income and diluted EPS declined: Net income was $14 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, against $17 million, or $0.17 per share, in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Reported operating income down, adjusted up: Reported operating income was $36.9 million, or 2.8 percent of revenue, against $38.9 million. Adjusted operating income, which moves deferred compensation investment losses into operating income, was $28.7 million against $18.7 million. Source

Talent solutions segment

  • Contract talent revenue down 5 percent: Contract talent solutions revenue was $725.0 million against $763.2 million; permanent placement revenue was $109.0 million against $112.1 million. Source
  • Two contract lines declined, technology rose: Finance and accounting was $538.8 million against $562.9 million, administrative and customer support $149.3 million against $165.6 million, and technology $153.8 million against $152.5 million. Source
  • Contract talent operating margin fell: Contract talent solutions operating income was $14.7 million, a 2.0 percent margin, against $20.7 million and 2.7 percent a year earlier. Source
  • Permanent placement margin rose: Permanent placement operating income was $6.9 million, a 6.3 percent margin, against $5.7 million and 5.1 percent a year earlier. Source

“Overall, we believe market conditions are becoming increasingly conducive to our business”

M. Keith Waddell, president and chief executive officer of Robert Half

Protiviti segment

  • Protiviti revenue down 2 percent: Protiviti revenue was $466.2 million against $476.6 million, down 2.2 percent as reported and 3.8 percent on an adjusted basis. Source
  • Protiviti operating income rose: Protiviti reported operating income of $15.3 million, a 3.3 percent margin, against $12.4 million and 2.6 percent. Adjusted Protiviti operating income was $13.3 million against $8.4 million. Source
  • Protiviti gross margin widened: Protiviti gross margin was 19.2 percent as reported against 18.9 percent, and 18.8 percent adjusted against 18.1 percent a year earlier. Source

United States and international

  • United States revenue down 7 percent: United States revenue fell 7.1 percent as reported and 6.9 percent on an adjusted basis; the fourth-quarter reported decline was 7.9 percent. Source
  • International revenue up on reported basis: International revenue rose 8.1 percent as reported, against a 1.8 percent rise in the fourth quarter; adjusted growth was 0.4 percent. Source
  • International Protiviti grew 16 percent: International Protiviti revenue rose 16.0 percent as reported and 8.1 percent on an adjusted basis. Source

Gross margin, costs and tax

  • Gross margin unchanged at 36.9 percent: Gross margin was $479.9 million, 36.9 percent of revenue, in both years on a reported basis; adjusted gross margin was 36.8 percent against 36.6 percent. Source
  • SG&A dollars fell; adjusted rate improved: Selling, general and administrative expenses were $443.0 million, against $460.2 million; adjusted SG&A was 34.6 percent of revenue against 35.2 percent. Source
  • Deferred compensation trust losses declined: Losses on investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts were $8.2 million against $20.2 million, which the company says is completely offset by related costs and expenses. Source
  • Tax provision rose against higher pretax income: The provision for income taxes was $17.7 million, against $4.9 million a year earlier. Source

Demand and revenue trend

  • Revenue trends strengthened into April: Management said revenue trends strengthened as the quarter progressed and into early April. Source
  • Global billing and currency lines: Global reported growth was minus 3.8 percent and adjusted growth minus 5.6 percent; the billing-day line is 0.0 and the currency line minus 1.8 points. Source
  • Talent solutions decline narrowed: Total talent solutions revenue growth was minus 4.7 percent as reported and minus 6.6 percent adjusted, against minus 7.9 and minus 8.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Cash fell from year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $278.4 million at March 31, 2026, against $464.4 million at December 31, 2025 and $342.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Capex fell; capitalized cloud costs rose: Capital expenditures were $8.5 million against $12.4 million a year earlier, and capitalized cloud computing implementation costs were $8.3 million against $6.2 million. Source
  • No share repurchases this quarter: No open market repurchases of common stock were made in the first quarter of 2026, against 668 shares in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Diluted share count declined: Diluted weighted average shares were 99,899 thousand against 101,015 thousand a year earlier; basic shares were 99,622 thousand against 100,666 thousand. Source
  • Equity declined; current liabilities fell: Stockholders’ equity was $1,231.2 million at March 31, 2026, against $1,275.9 million at December 31, 2025. Total current liabilities were $1,268.9 million, against $1,384.5 million at year-end. Source

Recognition and workforce

  • Recognized as innovative employer: Management cited recent Fortune recognition as one of America’s Most Innovative Companies, and placement in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Source
  • Forbes named company culture recognition: The company said Forbes named it one of America’s Best Employers for Company Culture in the week of the release. Source
  • Protiviti named Fortune Most Admired: Over the last 12 months, Robert Half, with Protiviti, was named a Fortune Most Admired Company and one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.